Ohio State coach Urban Meyer and the rest of the Buckeyes have a goal of winning the 2013 national championship. / Eamon Queeney, AP

by Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY Sports

by Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY Sports

The chase is on for Ohio State, which begins preparations for the 2013 season with eyes on a return to national prominence after one season spent fruitlessly (if successfully) tilting at windmills in the face of NCAA sanctions.

It's even written on a wall inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center: "The Chase," one sign reads. Not a race, mind you, but a chase. Ohio State plans on joining Alabama, Oregon, Notre Dame, the SEC and others in the hunt for a national championship. Are the Buckeyes ready to make that leap?

The drive is there, as is the desire to follow Urban Meyer's lead back to national prominence. The Buckeyes were in that spot a year ago, but with that NCAA-mandated asterisk. For an encore, OSU has grand plans on 12-0, followed by 13-0, followed by 14-0.

OSU expected nothing less when it hired Meyer, who has been wholly reenergized by the process of rebuilding the Buckeyes in Florida's image. As with the Gators, the Buckeyes are headlined by an all-everything quarterback with Heisman aspirations, a seasoned offensive line, talent at the skill positions and young speed to burn on defense (though inexperience might be a concern).

1. What's missing? There's the front seven to worry about, what with the loss of six of last season's primary starters. The kicking game should provide some concern, seeing that Drew Basil will likely be tabbed for all three duties (kicking, kickoffs and punting). Anything else? No, not really. The offense will be electric in its second year under Meyer and offensive coordinator Tom Herman. The Buckeyes are strong (and will get stronger) in the return game. The offensive line is experienced. As a whole, you see more players comfortable in their roles heading into Meyer's second spring.

2. How important is this month? I can think of two reasons why making the most of this spring is essential for the Buckeyes heading into August. One is the Buckeyes' end-of-year goal â?? a national title. The second is the fact that OSU is behind the eight ball a touch due to the fact it was not able to go through 15 bowl practices after last season. That might leave the team rusty over the first few days, though it won't last long.

Position battles:

1. Defensive line. All four starters are gone from last season, including a pair of first-team all-Big Ten picks, so OSU will make the defensive front a point of emphasis over the next month. There is some experience returning, however, mostly coming in sophomore end Noah Spence and sophomore tackle Adolphus Washington; these two are the building blocks for 2013. Joining this pair is another handful of sophomore and juniors. Another glut of linemen, all true freshmen, enter the mix over the summer.

2. Linebacker. The Buckeyes can rely on Ryan Shazier to tackle everything that moves, and there's little doubt that the projected All-American will do just that for OSU in 2013. While the staff might have some idea as to its starting three â?? Curtis Grant and David Perkins joining Shazier â?? the Buckeyes do need better depth than a season ago. Finding some degree of consistency outside of Shazier is also a must.